XXXVI
Flagellum Dei
Kagome flushes at his words, hears the singing of his howl join the attacking wolf pack, and then plants her feet and grasps her bow and reaches for an arrow. She tries to psyche herself up, but it doesn't work; this is the first time she's ever tried to shoot anything, and though she knows the basics, just from growing up in a shrine, she's quite sure she has no chance of hitting anything and isn't sure she should try. What if she hits one of the wolves instead?
The battle makes the decision for her. The harpies see the group of wolves that has gone still around a human woman as invitation to attack; on defense and not offense, the wolves are at a disadvantage as their enemies attack from the sky, and Kagome stares up with wide eyes as the creatures dive at them, talons reaching, fangs bared and weapons raised for a deadly attack. A canine whine and half a bark sounds from behind her. The harpies cackle in cruel unison as one of them flies upward with a squirming wolf trapped in its talons.
Kagome doesn't think; she moves – draws an arrow from the quiver on her back, nocks it to the string, draws it back against her cheek and fires. It is one smooth movement, a perfect, shining shot that sends her arrow curving in a high arc and then straight into the body of the harpy that has hold of the wolf that was protecting her.
The wolf falls from the ground, but only from fifteen feet or so in the air; for a youkai, such a drop is nothing, and panting, Kagome's protector runs back to her and takes up his place again with a nudge of gratitude, muzzle to knee.
Kagome can only stare at the bow in her hands, wondering what kind of magic it has been imbued with that makes her such a perfect shot – but it has no power she can sense. Nothing like her own magic, and nothing like the shikon no tama, nothing of youki, just a plain, wooden bow well strung with beeswaxed horsehair.
Her fingers linger hesitant on the bowstring. How is it possible? Something secret inside her? A talent she never knew she had? It sounds too strange to be true, but what else could explain what was happening? She was a miko by power, by birth...but not by training, and it was too much to hope for that the skills of a phenomenal archer came with the power itself!
But the questions and their potential answers would have to wait until later. For now, there was only a sense of gratitude, which lingered undirected as she considered the best way to offer her help. She sees Kouga, a darting figure in midair, involved in a battle of blows her eyes can't follow, so sharp and swift are they. She lays another arrow across the string, but doesn't dare to interfere in that swift and spinning fight. Instead, she aims for other harpies nearby; her arrows shoot straight and true, keeping back any of those who might interfere with Kouga's fight.
Here and there she sends a dart of blazing light to save other wolves that she notices in danger; again and again she draws the cool shaft through her fingers, smooths the feathered vanes and sights along the gleaming point. Again and again impossible shots hit their target; again and again, her eyes are drawn away from the flight of her own power and toward Kouga and the battle he is fighting alone in the sky.
Kouga stands on the air, but only ever for a moment at a time. It is speed that keeps him in the air, not youki or an inherent power; he only remains on the level of his foe as long as he is moving, and so he flashes from point to point faster than the eye can follow, even the bird-eyes of the harpy's leaders. When he is still, blue youki flashes from his claws and assaults the shikon hardened flesh of the great beast; his claws rake over it, seeking the softer skin of Jigoku and Jaaku's twin grey torsos. The weapons they wield don't touch him – can't – but neither can he make his way close enough to wound them through the shield that is sword and spear swinging in twin, deadly arcs.
Impatience is Kouga's greatest flaw; he does not think, he does, without considering the potential for terrible things. Like he did the first time he confronted them, Kouga stops on their very flesh, stand still on the rancid bird's body that holds their twin selves together. He feels a bite of pain – Jigoku's sword cutting into his thigh – and then a furious stab – Jaaku's spear darting into his flesh.
"First blood is ours, wolf!"
Kouga dodges the spear just enough that it pierces nothing vital, drives into his shoulder instead of his chest. There is pain – a throbbing agony – a slash of fire – but the pleasure...the pleasure is far greater. He grins, a terrible smile, and then reaches forward and grasps one throat in each of his hands.
"Stupid; really stupid – who cares about first blood? It's the last blood spilled that counts!"
He tightens his fists, and his claws cut into the pair of foul throats in tandem. A blazing light, one of Kagome's arrows, shoots by Kouga's face, an inch from his cheek, and passes between the two harpies to kill one of their subordinates; he is pleased beyond measure that Kagome is so able to take care of herself, and more pleased still that she knows better than to interfere in his fight.
Twin pulses throb against his fingertips.
Red blood spurts out over his hands.
He feels the tension of the weapons that still pierce his flesh go completely slack, and then tightens his claws again with a surge of youki.
A wail goes up from the harpies as the heads of their leaders tumbles off their necks in a splash of icy light and then fall to the ground. No more than lumps of flesh now, they bounce once and then are still.
The great mass of the twin's body falls heavy to the ground, and Kouga leaps clear and then stands, victorious; watches, as a great cry goes up among the harpies and then turn and begin to scatter and flee.
A/N: I...give up on attempting to predict myself any more! At any rate, here be chapter! The title, "Flagellum Dei" translates to "scourge of the gods", in reference to Kagome's power. More soon (as in, within the next day, of course!) Thanks go out to all reviewers, for awesome creatures ye be...
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